Basket hanger



July 1, 19 69 IZUELSDQRYF 3,452,957

BASKET HANGER Filed May 23. 1967 fl/ZflA A. Zl/L-Z SDORF INVENTOR.

A Troewsv United States Patent 3,452,957 BASKET HANGER Hilda A. Zuelsdorf, 27517 Buckingham, Livonia, Mich. 48154 Filed May 23, 1967, Ser. No. 640,673 Int. Cl. A47g 29/00 US. Cl. 248-318 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In modern residential buildings it is customary to have a clothes chute extending from a bathroom, or other location, on an upper floor to the basement of the dwelling so that soiled linens, clothes and the like may quickly be dispatched to the basement for laundering or dry cleaning. It has been the common practice to set a clothes basket, or hamper beneath the end of the clothes chute to catch the linens and clothes which descend through the chute. In such practice the clothes basket or hamper generally rests upon the floor, which gives rise to a musty condition and unpleasant odor, particularly if the linens or clothes are wet or even damp when deposited in the clothes chute.

Further than that, the descending linens or clothes often miss the basket or hamper and fall upon the basement floor, where they are further soiled, and a basket or hamper resting upon the floor is a hazard to persons moving about in the basement.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to obviate the foregoing difliculties and to provide means for suspending a basket or hamper closely beneath the lower end of the clothes chute so that the soiled linens and clothes are kept off of the floor and in an area of warm circulating air, which tends to initially dry the moisture from the linens and the clothes and prevent the formation of mildew and musty odors.

Another object of the invention is to provide suspension means for such a clothes hamper, which are swingably mounted so that the installation of the basket or hamper on the suspension means, and the removal of the same from the suspension means, is greatly facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is constructed and arranged to provide four bearing contacts with the clothes hamper so that the hamper is securely held in position below the clothes chute, even though articles descending from the clothes chute may land on one side or the other of the hamper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of substantially A-shaped hangers with a hook formed on the end of each leg of the hangers and with-means whereby one of the hangers may be supported in longitudinal alinement with a floor joist, and the other of said hangers may be suspended transversely of another of said floor joists, adjacent a clothes chute.

Another object of the invention is to provide suspension means, as previously indicated, With the terminal ends of the hooks covered with resilient cap members which extend the bearing surface of the ends of the hooks and provide frictional contacts between the hanger devices and the clothes hamper, to minimize any tendency of the hamper to shift on the suspension means when in use.

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The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawing, forming part of the within disclosure, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device embodying the invention secured to the floor joists of a building adjacent a clothes chute, and showing a clothes basket, or clothes hamper, supported thereby.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts in section, showing one of the A members embodying the invention attached to a floor joist.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts in section, of the second A member embodying the invention, attached to a floor joist.

FIG. 5 is a view taken substantially on line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood in the embodiment herein disclosed the reference character 7 indicates, in general, a clothes basket, or clothes hamper, which is supported on the hangers 8 and 9, which in turn are attached to the floor joists 10 and 11 by means of brackets 12 and 13, which are in turn attached to the joists 10 and 11 by wood screws 14, or other suitable means.

The reference character 15 indicates the sub-floor of a dwelling, and the reference character 16 indicates a clothes chute with its upper and located at a suitable location on an upper floor of the dwelling, and its lower end 17 positioned above the hamper 7.

It will be understood that each hanger 8 and 9 is substantially in the form of the letter A, with the lower end of each leg of the hanger terminating in a hook portion 18. The end of each hook being covered with a resilient cap member 19, which serves as an extended, frictional bearing surface for the support of the clothes hamper 7. The hooks 18 are arranged to be received under the lip portion 20 of the basket 7, whereby the basket is suspended from the ceiling of the basement.

It will be noted that the web portion 21 (FIG. 3) of the hanger 8 lies in a plane common to the plane in which lie the legs 8A and 8B of the hanger 8, whereas the web portion 22 of the hanger 9 lies in a plane perpendicular to the planes in which lie the legs 9A and 9B of the hanger 9. This is an important feature of the invention as it facilitates the mounting of the basket 7 on the hangers 8 and 9. V

In suspending the basket 7 on the hangers 8 and 9, I prefer to first secure the lip 20 of the basket 7 on the hooks 18 of the hanger 9. While so doing the hanger 8 may be swung out of position, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, and then may be brought into proper position underneath the lip 20 of the basket 7, to firmly suspend the basket on the hooks 18.

This construction and arrangement provides a four bearing contact with the basket 7 and firmly supports the basket against undesired movement in any direction, but permits the basket to be removed easily from the hangers when such action is desired.

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of elongated A shaped hanger members, the legs of each hanger lying in substantially different horizontal planes, the free end of each leg of each member termimating in a hook, the hooks of each hanger lying in substantially parallel vertical planes and rigid means to attach the members to a support structure, the web portion connecting the upper ends of the leg members of one of the hangers lies in a vertical plane which is parallel to the vertical planes in which said hook members are disposed, the web portion of the second hanger is disposed in a vertical plane which is normal to the vertical planes in which said hook members are disposed.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which each of said hooks is provided with a resilient terminal cap, which serves as an enlarged frictional bearing surface.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which the hook portion of each hanger member is received under the edge of a basket or the like.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the said hangers are attached, in spaced relation, beneath the ceiling of a dwelling structure and adjacent the lower end of a clothes chute and have received on the hooks of said hangers a clothes hamper, whereby to locate the interior of said hamper in alinement with and below the said chute.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,845 9/1915 Cooper 248341 2,452,826 11/1948 Backs 248-318 X 2,475,442 7/ 1949 Baum. 3,172,537 3/1965 Kraft 248-303 X 3,370,715 2/1968 Kolozsvari 248-341 X ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

I. FRANKLIN FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

